Ketura Weston comes full circle with Region Riverina

Some things are cliches because they’re true – for instance, there’s no place to raise a young family quite like the country.

So when Ketura Weston and her husband Luke started having kids, they knew it was time to head home to the Riverina.

“I grew up in Deniliquin and some small towns in WA – the biggest was about 600 people,” Ketura said.

“Mum got a job as a nursing unit manager in Wagga when I was in high school, so I stayed there for my teens and early 20s before I went off to discover the world.

“But when our daughter Poppy was one we knew it was time to come back – Luke wanted to return for the family business, Weston and Weston Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, and a country town has a better energy.”

It’s been almost five years now, and they’ve since welcomed 18-month-old Lochie to the family, but the Westons knew they’d made the right decision straight away.

Open spaces, no traffic, affordable housing, and the sense of community were the biggest drawcards.

“The country has a real community feel to it – the local coffee shop knows your name,” Ketura said.

“It’s just a better lifestyle.”

Other cliches about the country no longer hold true, especially when you have a regional city like Wagga as the hub.

There’s been a steady thrum of reinvigoration across the Riverina and Central West over the past decade. More young people are sticking around after school – or making their way home after a stint in the big smoke.

Anyone who’s driven through the region knows how much town pride is on display in any main street, with bright, neat median strips and shady, well-mown parks.

Now cool cafes, quirky bars and high-quality restaurants are popping up alongside the classic pubs and long-standing Chinese restaurants.

“You used to see people moving away from country towns but, especially after COVID, more are moving back,” Ketura said.

“In Wagga you can buy a very nice home with some land, compared to a flat in Sydney – it’s pretty appealing after being trapped in the house for however many months.

“The number of high-calibre coffee shops, restaurants and bars we have here is amazing, it’s really good to see it coming back to life compared to 10 or 20 years ago when your choice was Hog’s Breath or the pub.”

In June, Ketura started work at Region as an account executive.

“I had coffee and a chat with Adam Drummond for about 20 minutes, and then he brought me in to meet the Region Riverina team,” she laughed.

“I walked in and felt like I’d worked there all along.

“I really like the energy of Region in general. It’s all about supporting local 100 per cent – and I like knowing what’s going on in the Riverina.”